She made it for about a month. When they found her she was panhandling money, trying to get a bus ticket the fuck out of dodge. She just had the bad luck that one of the runners was going to visit a sick uncle and went to the bus station. They had stopped looking for her there. We were all made to stand shoulder to shoulder against the back wall of the back basement room. We were warned that if any one of us looked away everyone would be whipped bloody in turn and there would be no Daddy's Little Helpers for anyone for a month. Then two of the runners drug her in, kicking, screaming, cussing, and trying her best to inflict some damage on her captors. She was in bad shape, her face an unrecognizable pulp, lash marks criss crossed every bit of skin i could see, and the insides of her thighs streaked with blood from whatever they had done to her there. Edward followed the runners at a bit of a distance, and Benny shut the door behind him. He walked over to John who waited by the chains that hung from the ceiling. He nodded to John and he snatched one of Mira's wrists, attaching it to the manacle, holding the kicking, clawing, desperately struggling girl with no more effort than most people hold a struggling kitten. Once Mira was restrained and gagged Edward stepped out in front of her and addressed us. "What has she done?" The question was met by silence. No one wanted to betray Mira by stating her obvious crime. "Layla, what has she done?" i could hear the tears in Layla's voice when she answered. Mira was her best friend. "She ran." Edward nodded. He turned and muttered something to John who grabbed Mira's kicking leg and held it out. Edward pointed to the E carved in her heel. "What's this?" Silence again. He sighed. "Pearl, what's this?" "Your mark." Another nod. "And, what does it mean?" Silence. "Kayla, what does it mean?" "That who we were before is dead. That we are your property, we only live at your pleasure." He smiled. "John, you've taught these girls well. So obviously, our little traitor here knew she could not leave me. Didn't she, Wendy?" "Yes." "What happens to traitors in this household, Raven?" "They die." "Exactly."
And then the knife ripped through the beautiful skin. i watched but i didn't see. But, i couldn't block out the muffled agonized sounds. i was relieved when they finally stopped. And, no one looked away.
